Kary Osmond: A perfect cold-weather soup
Kary Osmond/TNS
The soup has a delicious aroma and a sweet flavor.
I love it when a recipe comes together.
Sometimes, when I start building a recipe, I’m not always sure how it will end. That was the case with this soup recipe.
I started by prepping vegetables I had on hand. I knew I wanted a brothy soup with chunks of tender vegetables. I added potatoes because I wanted a creamy texture to balance out the sweetness of the other vegetables, and I kept the recipe simple, only using bay leaves, salt and pepper to season the soup. Turns out, that’s all it needed!
The soup has a delicious aroma and a sweet flavor from the carrots, onions and butternut squash. It’s a perfect cold-weather soup.
Vegetable Soup
Serves 4-6
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and diced into 3/4-inch pieces
- 8 baby potatoes, quartered
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups of vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 bay leaves
1. Place a large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, onion, carrots and garlic. Cook and stir until onions are translucent and soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add butternut squash, potatoes, chickpeas, vegetable stock, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes or until potatoes and butternut squash is tender.
3. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tasty tips
- Cooked pearl barley, quinoa or brown rice can be added to thicken soup.
- A splash of white wine added after the onions have softened will enhance the flavor of the soup. Add 1/4 cup and allow to reduce for a few minutes before adding the butternut squash.
(Kary Osmond is a Canadian recipe developer and former television host of the popular daytime cooking show “Best Recipes Ever.” Her easy recipes include helpful tips to guide you along the way, and her love of plant-based cooking offers healthy alternatives to some of your favorite dishes. Learn more at karyosmond.com.)
